The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for controlling a speed ratio of a continuously variable transmission for a vehicle, and more particularly to improvements in such method and apparatus for increased fuel economy of the vehicle during acceleration periods.
In the art of a continuously variable transmission for a vehicle to transmit a rotary motion of an engine to drive wheels with a continuously variable ratio, a control apparatus is known which comprises regulating means for controlling the speed ratio of the variable transmission (ratio of a rotating speed of its output shaft to a rotating speed of its input shaft) such that an actual speed of the engine coincides with a target speed thereof which is determined based on a currently required output of the engine and according to a predetermined relation between the target speed and the required output of the engine. With such a known control apparatus to control the speed ratio of a variable transmission, the actual engine speed is controlled into conformity with a target engine speed which is continuously or intermittently determined so that the specific-fuel consumption is minimum. Thus, the control apparatus permits the transmission and the engine to operate with a high fuel economy over an entire range of the vehicle speed, particularly while the vehicle is running in a relatively stable conditions or at a relatively constant speed. In a continuously variable transmission, however, it is generally recognized that the transmission efficiency is unavoidably reduced in a process of changing the speed ratio. According to a controlling method practiced by the known control apparatus for the variable transmission, the speed ratio of the transmission is rapidly varied during acceleration of the vehicle, because the target speed of the engine is rapidly increased in response to a rapid increase in the required output of the engine as a result of an abrupt depression of an accelerator pedal for acceleration. Therefore, the transmission efficiency of the variable transmission and consequently the fuel economy of the vehicle are reduced during acceleration of the vehicle. In short, the known apparatus for controlling a continuously or steplessly variable transmission suffers the problem of relatively low fuel economy.